"Family Vibe," a swirl of luminous faces that resemble African masks, hangs over the living room sofa; it was painted shortly after the birth of his daughter.
The works of the medieval poets Hafiz and Saadi are filled with deep longing for beautiful women, although the clerics insist that the images of perfumed hair and luminous faces refer to spiritual, not temporal, love.
Amelia Warner, the young actress who plays Lorna, has a sober, luminous face.
Six feet tall, with silver hair, Sacks has an unlined, mournful, luminous face.
But many people do not know anything about it, and it is important to show them the luminous face of this civilization".
While her students are unforgettable, Ms. Mino is the star, a protagonist with a luminous face that hides nothing as she reflects the audience's complicated emotions.
The accompanying video was equally memorable – the close-up of that luminous face, her haunted beauty, a single tear sliding down each cheek.
The haunting songs were performed by Petrana Koutcheva, Radostina Kuneva and Neli Andreeva, a singer with a luminous face straight out of a Merchant-Ivory film.
That unmistakably luminous face may be gazing out from programmes and posters all across town, but this year the Brighton festival's guest director is very much remarkable by her absence.
Not that her vision idealises the country or its people – it contains sharp criticism of upper-class customs – but she clearly celebrates Mexico's luminous face and life itself.
"I don't watch much television, but I saw her in Beeban Kidron's [1997 feature] Swept from the Sea, with her utterly luminous face and beautiful eyes, giving a wonderful performance.
